Special Needs Student Allegedly Raped During PE Class

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Special Needs Student Allegedly Raped During PE Class

SOUTH LOS ANGELES (KTLA) – The family of a student with special needs who was allegedly raped at a Los Angeles middle school during a physical education class planned to sue the Los Angeles Unified School District, an attorney for the family announced Monday.

Attorney Brian Claypool said the 13-year-old seventh-grader was left unsupervised back in early June at Barack Obama Middle School when he was allegedly lured behind the bleachers in gym class and sexually assaulted by a male student who was in the eighth grade.

The victim’s mother complained to school administration that she was concerned about how her son was being treated by other students in his P.E. class two months prior to the alleged assault, Claypool said.

The mother said a teacher told her that her son was being bullied in gym class but school administrators did nothing.

Just after the alleged rape, the boy reportedly told other boys during an after-school program what had happened. Those boys reported the incident to a supervisor who called police.

“This should never take place for any kid, not just my son,” the alleged victim’s father said.

According to the boy’s parents, the 13-year-old has a severe learning disability and was supposed to be supervised.

His parents blamed the LAUSD for failing to train staff and supervise students.

“LAUSD needs to clean their act up. Stop using a band-aid to cover a huge wound,” the alleged victim’s mother said.

Los Angeles police detectives said they were conducting a criminal investigation.

LAUSD released a statement regarding the investigation: “Allegations of student-on-student misconduct are taken seriously. Upon learning of the allegations, the school site acted to appropriately document and notify authorities of the suspected abuse. Although we cannot comment on the specific allegations or any potential lawsuit in this case, we are committed to ensuring student safety at all times.”

The attorney for the alleged victim’s family claimed the abuse was part of “the continued systemic breakdown going on within LAUSD.”